Aiming and projecting play apparatus



April 14, 1942.

F. R. BODNAR AIMING AND PROJEGTING PLAY APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l April 14, 1942- F. R. BODNAR AIMING ANDPROJECT'ING PLAYAPPARATUS Filed May 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVEN TO R I ATTORNEYPatented Apr. 14, 1942 UNITED STATES AHWING AND PROJECTING PLAYAPPARATUS Frank R. Bodnar, Milford, Conn.

Application May 1, 1940, Serial No. 332,753

M'Cla'iins.

This invention relates to an amusement device which may be used as acompetitive game by adults as well as for mere play by children. Theimprovements particularly concern a device of this type wherein a ballor missile is projected in pre-aimed direction with controlled force. Astriking mallet and a target are usually employed in the game.

The ability of ball or missile throwing game apparatus to afiordcontinued appeal to users depends upon the nature and relationship ofthe elements of skill and of chance involved in its use. Most amusementdevices for projecting a ball are so limited in versatility of play orin the variety of different possible ways of executing the play thatthey soon become monotonous and fall into disuse. Games such as bowlingor the widely used bagatelle games confine a rolling sphere to a planarcourse of movement. Most games of ball wherein the ball is projectedfreely into space and aimed merely by the direction of blow of a club orbat, depending on the dexterity with which the player wields thestrikin'g implement, afiord no opportunity for a novice to win, andrequire too much skill to provide an interesting contest except betweenplayers who are well matched in aptitude and experience.

Itis an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus forprojecting a variety of sizes of balls or other forms of missiles orpro- .jectiles by a series of manipulations involving two distinctstages and performances of judgment or skill, neither of whichperformances exceeds the ability of a novice to master quickly andeffectively. Thus my approved game may readily be entered into by anynumber of people, who though formerly unacquainted with the apparatus,are certain to possess sufficient aptitude and skill to give each playera reasonably equal chance of winning. At the same time there of strikingthe ball, so that a share of the skill contributing to a winning scoremay reside in the leisurely exercise of the players aiming judg ment,while another share of the skill resides 'solely in the speed and forceof the blow which is to be struck manually without the requirement forsimultaneous attention to the problem of directing the ball by the blowwhich is struck.

By this contrast between the leisurely operation of aiming and the rapidoperation of striking, it will be recognized that'a sharp change of paceattends the manipulation ofthe device which is a. psychological factorenhancing the suspense and excitement attending each play.

A further object of the invention isto incorporate an apparatus havingthe foregoing features of performance in a simple and uncostly devicewhich, while preferably of readily portable nature, will stand stablyupon the floor or upon a table top, instead of requiring to be held inthe hand of the player.

A further object is to make the device of the fewest possible and mostsimple forms of parts, preferably of sheet metal, and devoid of springsso that it will be low in cost and light in weight, yet rugged anddurable in use.

A still further object is to confine the movable parts of the ballprojecting device to a simple adjustable ball holding support and ballstriker both of which for still further simplicity may employ a commonpivot.

A still further object is to provide a means for aiming the ball whichcan utilize a full 360 degrees of horizontal sweep and a full quadrantof inclination from the true horizontal to the true vertical.

The above and other objects of the-invention will become clearer fromthe following detailed description, in which reference is had to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

of Fig. 2 showing the movable parts thereof in section on the plane "4-4looking in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3 with said partspositioned as in Fig. .3.

Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged, fragmentary view taken in section onthe planes 5--55 in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a correspondingly enlarged sectional view taken on the planefi6 in Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view show- ;tionl8 of a tubular legll.

ing a section of the edge of the tripod table and Fig. 12 shows theadapter arms of Fig. 11 assisting in the holding of a still larger ball.

Fig. 13 shows the adapter arms. supporting a ball that is too large totouch the support bar-- rel at all.

As the ball aiming and projecting device of these improvements isintended to be played with while in standing position yet is desiredtobe' easily portable as well as stable in use,'a preferred form of basestructure is the tripod indicated as a wholeby 10 in Fig. 1. This makesthe unitary piece of apparatus readily collapsible so that it can bestoredor transported with minimum space requirement. The tripod employedmay be of the table type having very short legs, but it is preferably ofthe type adapted to have long/legs ll standing on a floor and supportingthe platform 12. at approximately table height from the floor. Legs llmaybe hinged to platform [2 with the help of a U-shapedbracket l3 bestshownin Figs. 7 and 8, which is secured to the turned down rim l4 of thesheet metal platform I2 by one or more rivets I5, orby any othersuitable fastening means as by welding. The side flanges of bracket i3support a bolt l6 which is retained by nut l1 and which projects throughopposite walls of the somewhat flattened end por- At its bottom end eachleg H carries the removable spike I9, shown in Fig. 7, which'is readilyreplaceable by a rubber foot pad 20, Fig. 9, if preferred'when thedevice is standing on slippery or easily marred surfaces- H 3 Aturret-like standard is held in swiveled relation to and on the topsurface ofv platform I2 by the central vertical pivot screw 26 withwhich the wing nut 21 has threaded engagement in a manner tosqueezestandard 25 and platof aresilient friction washer 28. '-Fig. .6shows this washer to comprise a radially slotted cupped disc of springymaterial. A thrust washer 29 separates the head of screwi26 from thestandard 25 andianother thrust washer 30 separates the friction washer28 from the wing nut 21.

The upstanding free arms 34 of standard 25, which are preferably made ofsheet metal or other resilient material, are spaced apart and at thebottom or rear end of barrel 33 opposite its muzzle end from which theball is tobe' proform I2 yieldingly together through the medium jected.If the metal of which the ball. support 38 is made has'good resilientproperties the free ends 31 of the ball support will tend to separate sothat when constrained or forced together against the opposite faces of aspacer collar 42 by tightening the nut 36 on screw 35, substantialfriction will be set up between the outer surfaces of the strip ends 31and the inner surfaces of, arms 34 which will be suificient to hold theball support 38 at any desiredangle of inclination between itshorizontal position in which it trainsthe ball vertically upward in Fig.2,

' and its upright or vertical position in which it trains the ballhorizontally toward the right in Fig. 3. Stop 43 limits the range ofball support adjustment.

A'ball striker, indicated as a whole by 46, includes a, lever 41 pivotedat a mean point in its length on spacer collar 42 and is suflicientlythinner than the thickness of collar 42 to swing freely between thehinged ends 31 of the ball aiming support, At its ball striking end,lever 41 carries a screw 48' having. threaded engagement therewith whichscrew is provided with a ball striking button head 49 together with locknuts and-35L "The button head49 may. hence be .adjustably, positionedrelative. to lever 41 by loosening these look nuts and turning screw 43,and then looked in position by retightening the nuts. .Stops Hand 53limit the range of striker Swing. ,l

On the "other, or blow receiving, end of lever 41 a shock absorbing pad54 of rubber is secured by a screw 55 which passes through a hole formedbythe curledend of the lever and takes the retaining, nut. 56. Furthershown in Fig. l is a long handled mallet 5! represented as wielded bythe-hand'58 of a player assumed to be standing on the same-floor levelas is the tripod I0.

In Fig. v10,.are shown two of three adapter arms 50, eachof which hasone end anchored in swiveled relation to the outside of ball holdingbarrel 39-by arivet Si or other-suitable means preferably; permittingarms to be shifted around intotheir playing'postions indicated in Fig.11-where they will be held by the tightness of the rivet '6! ,untilintentionally retracted to their positions shown in Fig. 10. The twoarms 60 whichare nearest the holder strips 31 between barrel 39 andbracket 34 (Figs. 11 and 12) maybe-further retracted to a positionwherein their length which projects from the barrel will parallelandflank or'lie closely and compactly besidetthe, flat outer surfaces ofsaid holder strips 31, respectively. 1 In'Figfll a ball 62, larger thanball 4l,is'shown resting on the muzzle end of barrel 39 because toolarge to really enter this barrel and rest .on the tabs 43 as does ball4|.

In Fig. 12 a ball 63 is shown which is so large that it derives itssupport at least in part from the arms 60; In Fig; 13 an even; largerball 54 initial movement of ball 4| before the latter is projected intofree space. Obviously by elongatingthe front'or muzzle end of thecylindrical formation of the ball barrel, a greater directionalguidance'similar to th'e functionof a gun ban-e1 will-come into pla a Itwill be noted that the ball holding barrel is circumferentiallydiscontinuous and that the narrow space between the side walls of thehinged ends 31 of ball support 38 admits the striker lever 4'! freelythereinto so that the striker head 49 can pass from its full lineposition to its broken line position in Fig. 2 while the ball holdingsupport 38 remains stationary in its position shown in said figure orany other of its positions.

It will have become more or less apparent from the foregoing descriptionthat agame may be played with my improved ball aimingand projectingapparatus in the following Way, understanding that the distributionofweight of the combined lever 47, striking head 49 and blow receiving pad5G is such in relation to pivot 35 that gravity causes the ball striker46 normally to assume the position shown in Fig. l or in full lines inFig. 2 with the lower edge of lever 41 resting against stop 52. Assumingthat a target is provided which may take the form of any unstablearticle to be knocked over or of a receptacle to catch and hold theball, tripod I will he stood on the floor or on the ground a suitabledistance from such target with the parts positioned, say, as shown'inFig. 1. The player will first swivel the standard 25 about its pivot 25until he considers the vertical plane in which the ball striker 38swings to be aligned with his target. He will then train the ball ormissile, by adjusting the ball holding support 38 to the angle ofelevation or inclination which he considers should cause the trajectoryof the ball to carry it to the target. This operation is in the natureof range finding as practised in artillery fire with the difference thatthe projecting force of an ammunition explosive is substantially aconstant quantity whereas in my improved gaming apparatus the force withwhich the projectile is struck will vary with the strength of blowexerted through mallet upon ball striker 38 by the players hand 58.Hence this variable brings into play an additional factor of skillinvolving control of the force exerted by muscular action. Thus there isintroduced into the play two quite different phases of judgment or skillconsisting in the slow preliminary and deliberative aiming adjustmentfollowed by rapid striking action of the players arm.

As the mallet 51 hits downward upon the shock absorbing lever pad 54,the striking head as is flung up against ball M, which for the sake ofillustration, may be a soft sponge rubber ball of about one and threeeighths inches diameter, a ping-pong ball, or any harder, larger or moresolid form of ball. The projectile also may consist of any form of dart,shuttle-cock or other game piece intended to perform free flight. If theball is supported by holder 38 in the position shown in Fig. 2, itrwillbe struck initially in a straight upward direction as indicated by arrowA. In following through, or continuing its impelling contact with theball after initial contact, the ball striking head 49 will travel in theare indicated by arrow B in Fig. 2 whereby a certain amount of spin maybe imparted to the ball as it is projected from its holding barrel 39.Responsive to light blows of the mallet for producing relatively shortdistances of ball travel, this spin may not be a considerable factor inthe trajectory of the ball, but for long distance play where the ball isstruck with considerable force it introduces an additional element ofvariation and interest into the play. Regardless of what spin, if any,is imparted to the ball by the follow.- through action of the strikinghead, the degree of this follow-through, or that extent of the arc oftravel of the striking head 49 over which it remains in contact with theball, is obviously muchgreater when the ball is trained verticallyupward as in Fig. 2 than when the ball is trained horizontally as inFig. 3 or at angles of less elevation thanin Fig. 2. This in part is dueto the fact the ball holding support 38 is adjusted about, and thestriker 46 swings upon, the same pivot so that the ball may be held atvarious points in the permissible range of travel of striker head 49. Itenables the force of the mallet blow to be more fully transmitted to theball under circumstances where that force is most needed to cause theball to rise high in the air for traveling a large distance to reach itsobjective. The tongues or stops 43 not only serve to limit the downwardadjustive swing of ball holder 38 to its position shown in Fig. 2, butas shown in Fig. 3 also limit the upward adjustive swing of this sameholder by contact at a different point with the same edge of the hingedends 3? of the ball support.

Wholly independent of the ball support 38 and its limiting stops 43 arethe tongues -52 and 53 struck from the metal of standard 25 to act asstops for the ball striker lever 41. The latter, when struck by amallet, swings from its position in contact with stop 52 in Fig. 2 toits position in contact with stop 53 in Fig. 3 regardless of theposition of the ball support 38. Although the swing of the ball strikeris stopped abruptly, the play is accomplished Without objectionablenoise or undue wear on the parts through the help of the sound deadeningand shock absorbing action of the resilient pad 53. The resilience ofthis pad may also help in part to produce a lively more satisfactoryresponse of the ball striker to the blow of the mallet. After being hitby the mallet the ball striker 46 automatically returns by gravity toits position in Fig. 2. A spring might be used for, or to assist in,this purpose.

The foregoing description of the adapters 60 shown in Figs. 10 to 13 andtheir use will for the most part be self explanatory. These three ormore adapters in no way interfere with the free passing of the ballstriker 46 into and through the ball holding barrel 39. Where desiredfor greater surface contact with larger or softer balls the strikinghead shown at 8.9 may be replaced with one of larger diameter or itsstriking surface may be cupped to conform to the spherical surface ofthe ball. Obviously the legs ll of the tripod may be of telescopicconstruction to permit adjustment of the height of the tripod platforml2 from the floor. Other modifications are possible.

A playing apparatus of great versatility is provided by this inventionwhich offers strong psychological appeal because of the balance of skilland chance involved in its operation by inexperienced players. It hasproven to possess enduring appeal in use. As there are many obvioussubstitutes and equivalents for the exact forms and arrangement of partsherein disclosed to illustrate the principle of the invention, all

such are intended to be defined and covered by,

the appended claims in so far as they come within the full and fairmeaning of the language thereof.

I'claim: 1. A ball pre-aiming and projecting device for gaming andlikepurposes, including the combination of, astandard, a ball holding andpreaiming support carried on said standard, a pivotal connection betweensaid support and said standard enabling the former to be swungadjustablyabout a definite axis for shifting said support to selectivepreset angles of inclination relativeto said standard, and a ballstriker pivotally mounted onsaid standard fo'rfree swinging movementabout said axis relative to said standard and V relative to said ballsupport through a sufficient arc to impinge theball while the latter isheld by said support and thereby project the ball in a trajectory ofselective elevation determined by the preset angle of inclination-ofsaid support.

2. A directive ball projecting amusement or gamingdevice, including thecombinationof, a base platform, a turret-like standard pivotally mountedon said platform for manually adjustive directional setting about avertical axis relative thereto, means to maintain said standard inselective set positions, a ball aiming support adapted to hold the ballwith a portion of its surface exposed pivotally mounted on said standardfor manually adjustive directional setting about a horizontal axisrelative thereto, and a ball striker pivotally mounted on said standardfor manually impelled free swinging movement about said horizontal axisrelative to said ball support thereby to impinge said exposed surface ofthe ball while the latter is held by said support.

3. A directive ball projecting amusement or gaming device, including thecombination of, a base platform, a turret-like standard pivotallymounted on said platform for manually adjustive said ball supportpivotally mounted directly on said standard for manually impelled freeswinging movement about a horizontal axis relative to said ball supportthereby to impinge said exposed gaming device, including the combinationof, a A

tripod having a top platform, a turret-like standard pivotally mountedon said platform for adjustive setting about a vertical axis relativethereto, means to maintain said standard in selective set positions, aball holding and aiming support pivotally mounted on said standard foradjustivesetting about a horizontal axis relative thereto, and a ballstriker pivotally mountedon said standard for free swinging movementabout said horizontal axis relative to said .ball support.

5. In amusement or gaming apparatus, a ball holding and aiming deviceembodying in combination, a means of support, and a ball aimingstructure comprising an elongated strip of sheet metal looped in amanner to form an open ended ball holding barrel and having its freeends spaced apart and hinged on said means of support, together with aball striker pivotally mountholding and aiming device embodying incombination a supporting standard comprising a U- shaped structurehaving spaced upstanding arms, Vanda ball aiming structure comprising astrip of resilient sheet metal looped in a manner to form -a ballholding barrel and having its free ends elongated and locatedbetween andhinged to the said upstanding arms of the supporting standard, said freeends being biased to spring apart by the resilience of said metalthereby to press against said standard arms with friction producingforce whereby said ball aiming structure may be swingably adjusted toand maintained in different ball aiining positions relative to saidstandard.

7. In amusement or gaming apparatus, a ball holding and-aiming deviceembodying in combination, a supporting standard comprising a U- shapedstructure having spaced upstanding arms, and'a ball aiming structurecomprising a strip .of resilient sheet metal looped in a manner to forma ball holding barrel and having its free ends elongated and locatedbetween and hinged to the said upstanding arms of the supportingstandard, said free ends being biased to spring apart by the resilienceof said metal thereby to press against said standard arms with frictionproducing force whereby said ball aiming structure may be swingablyadjusted to and maintained in different ba l aiming positions relativeto said standard, together with a'base platform on which the bottom ofsaid U-shaped stand structure movably rests, and pivotal meansconnecting said platform and standard in a manner to afford frictiontending to maintain said standard yieldably in different positions towhich it may swivel on said platform.

8.;An amusement and gaming device for first pre aiming a, missile in aselectively elevated direction and thereafter separately striking saidmissile to project it in said direction, including the combination of, astandard, a missile holding and aiming support pivotally mounted on saidstandard in a manner to be swung adjustably relative to said standardabout a substantially I horizontal axis into preset positions ofselective inclination said support being constructed and arranged tohold said missile poised in a substantial rangeof said set positions,stop means carried by said standard arranged to establish and limit saidrange of set positions, and a ball striker pivotally mounted on saidstandard in a manner to remain in constant normal position While saidsupport is shifted to its various set positions and in a manner to befree for swinging movement about said axis relative to said supportthrough a path to impinge and project ed on said means of support toswing freely in the space between said free ends of said metal strip andcarrying a striking head positioned to said missile at an inclinedetermined in part by the presetting of said support relative to saidstandard.

9. An amusement and gaming device for first preaiming a missile in aselectively elevated direction and thereafter separately striking saidmissiletoproject it in said direction, including the combination of, astandard, a missile holding and aiming support pivotally mounted on saidstandard in a manner to be swung adjustably relative to said standardabout a substantially horizontal axis into preset positions of selectiveinclination said support being constructed and arranged to hold saidmissile poised in a substantial range of said set positions, a ballstriker pivotally mounted on said standard in a manner to remain in aconstant normal position while said support is shifted to its variousset positions and to be free for swinging movement about said axisrelative to said support through a path to impinge and project saidmissile at an incline predetermined at least in part by the presetinclination of said support relative to said standard, and stop meanscarried by said standard arranged to restrict the swing of said strikerto movement between its said normal position and a position beyond itspoint of contact with said missile.

10. An amusement and gaming device for first preaiming a missile in aselectively elevated direction and thereafter separately striking saidmissile to project it in said direction, including the combination of, astandard, a missile holding and aiming support pivotally mounted on saidstandard in a manner to be swung adjustably relative to said standardabout a substantially horizontal axis into preset positions of selectiveinclination said supportbeing constructed and arranged to hold saidmissile poised in a substantial range of said set positions, stop meanscarried by said standard arranged to establish and limit said range ofset positions, a ball striker pivotally mounted on said standard in amanner to remain in a constant normal position while said support isshifted to its various set positions and to be free for swingingmovement about said axis relative to said support through a path toimpinge and project said missile at an incline predetermined at least inpart by the preset inclination of said support relative to saidstandard, and stop means carried by said standard arranged to restrictthe swing of said striker to movement between its said normal positionand a position beyond its point of contact with said missile. .1

11. An amusement and gaming device as described in claim 8, includingthe combination defined in said claim, wherein the said missile holdingand aiming support comprises a looped strip of metal forming barreladapted incompletely to encompass the missile and of sufiicient axialextent to hold the encompassed missile poised to receive an impellingblow from the said striker in any of the said substantial range of setpositions of said inclinable support, said looped strip having its freeends hinged on the said means of support and. spaced axially aparttherein thereby to afford a steadying length of bearing prop for saidhinged ends of the looped strip.

12. An amusement and gaming device as described in claim 8, includingthe combination defined in said claim, wherein the said missile holdingand aiming support comprises a looped strip of metal forming a barreladapted incompletely to encompass the missile and of suificient axialextent to hold the encompassed missile poised to receive an impellingblow from the said striker in any of the said substantial range of setpositions of said inclinable support, said looped strip having its freeends hinged on the said means of support and spaced axially apartthereon thereby to afford a steadying length of bearing propv for saidhinged ends of the looped strip and said barrel being free ofobstruction to passage of the missile through one end thereof whileprovided with radially inward turned projections at its opposite end forsupporting the missile exposed to said impellingblow of the striker.

13. In a ball projecting device, the combination of a bearing brackethaving upstanding laterally spaced support arms, a ball holder havingresilient elongated mounting arms whose ends are positioned between saidsupport arms, a ball striking lever, a common pivot spindle extendingthrough said lever and all of said arms, and a bearing sleeve on saidpivot, said sleeve being thicker than said striking lever and beinginterposed between said resilient mounting arms of the ball holder saidlever being pivoted on said sleeve.

14. In amusement or gaming apparatus the combination of a ball striker,a hollow cylindrical barrel open at both ends adapted to support a ballof relatively smaller size therewithin substantially centered with theaxis of said barrel and constructed to admit a portion of said strikerto pass through said barrel for projecting said ball therefrom, andextension elements for supporting interchangeable balls in the path ofmovement of said striker which are too large to enter said barrel, saidelements being fixedly secured to said barrel and projecting beyond themuzzle thereof in fixedly diverging manner thereby to support incentered relation to the axis of said barrel balls of various largersizes.

FRANK R. BODNAR.

